Holidays to Bilbao: City Breaks, Packages and Beaches

A Bilbao city break suits travellers who want art, architecture and walking more than a sunlounger. The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, Euskal Museoa (the Basque Country Museum) and the Alhóndiga cultural centre all sit within about half a mile of the centre, so a weekend can be filled on foot. Couples tend to like the riverside, the bridges such as La Salve, Deusto Bridge and Puente Euskalduna, and the grand buildings including Chavarri Palace and Ibaigane Palace.

A Bilbao family holiday works well when you mix the city with the coast. Itsasmuseum Bilbao, the maritime museum, is around a mile from the centre, and Las Arenas beach near Portugalete gives children a sandy afternoon. If you prefer somewhere quieter than a city, family holidays near Bilbao can be based around Portugalete or Santurtzi, two smaller coastal towns of around 46,000 people each.

Bilbao itself is the obvious base for a first visit: it has the most to see, with the Casco Viejo, St. James' Cathedral, the Plaza de Toros bullring and the Biscay Foral Delegation Palace all close together. Short breaks to Bilbao usually mean staying here, so that the museums and old town are a stroll away.

Portugalete, about six miles downstream on the coast, has the Basilica of Santa María and Las Arenas beach nearby, and it is only eight minutes from the airport by road. Santurtzi, about seven miles out and nine minutes from the airport, is the smaller, more low-key coastal choice. Both suit travellers who want sea air in the evening and an easy trip into the city by day.

The warmest and driest stretch is July and August, with average highs of 25 and 26°C and around ten rain days a month; July is the driest month at 44mm. June and September are still pleasant at 23 to 24°C, with a few more showers, and suit travellers who want city sightseeing without the heat of southern Spain.

From November to March the weather turns cool and wet: November is the wettest month at 159mm, and March has around 17 rain days, with highs between 12 and 16°C. That is no bar to a museum-led Bilbao weekend break, but pack a waterproof. As with most package destinations, prices across the UK school holidays tend to be higher than in term time, so families should compare dates early.

Bilbao airport (BIO) has direct flights from the UK and is the natural choice: the transfer to central Bilbao takes about four minutes by road, Portugalete about eight and Santurtzi about nine. Santander airport (SDR) also has direct UK flights; from there allow around 57 minutes to Santurtzi, 58 to Portugalete and 66 to Bilbao.

If you would rather bring your own car, Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth to Bilbao in roughly 28 to 32 hours, landing about a mile from the city. Santander port, about 40 miles away, has sailings from Portsmouth (around 24 to 32 hours) and Plymouth (around 20 hours).

Package holidays to Bilbao bundle your flight, hotel and usually transfers into one booking, and when sold as a package they are ATOL-protected, so you are covered if something goes wrong with the company. For a city this close to its airport, the transfer is short whichever area you choose; check which airport and board basis each deal includes before you book.

On this page you can compare live Bilbao holiday packages from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach side by side. If you prefer to put holidays in Bilbao together yourself, you can also check hotel prices, compare car hire for trips along the coast, and see tours and tickets for the museums and sights, all from here.